Continuous auto-way for use in straight,curved,elevating and descending paths



VUnited States Patent O 3,515,253 CONTINUOUS AUTO-WAY FOR USE INSTRAIGHT, CURVED, ELEVATING AND DESCENDING PATHS Saburo Yamada,Sakai-shi, Japan, assignor to Senyo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Naniwa-ku,Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Oct. 23, 1967, Ser. No.677,152 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 16, 1966, 41/ 75,412Int. Cl. B66b 9/12 U.S. Cl. 198--17 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe disclosure relates to an auto-way or conveyor, such as for thecontinuous transportation of people, comprising a plurality of runningboards interconnected by links through ball joints each havingvertically and horizontally extending cross-like pins; the front andrear side edges of each board are arcuately formed and the front andrear ends have bowl-like surfaces; the side edges and end surfaces havethe same curvatures respectively, whereby two adjacent boards makeline-contact with each other and said boards can follow one another intheir continuous path smoothly without creaking whether the path isstraight, curved, elevating or descending, by means of wheels carried bythe board so as to ride on rails suitably laid according to said paths.

The present invention relates to a continuous auto-way for use instraight, curved, elevating and descending paths.

In the design of running boards interconnected with one another inseries and used in a continuous auto-way having straight, curved,elevating and descending paths, it has been proposed to curve both ofthe front and rear sides in each running board with the same curvaturein order to permit the running boards to follow a curved path, and todispose at the back or bottom surface of the running board a longer legabout twice as long as the thickness of the running board and also ashorter leg about one half of the longer leg in order to provide theelevating and descending paths. In this case, the adjacent runningboards are made to contact as a whole with each other in one plane sothat when they are traveling along an intermediate path between ahorizontal path and a elevating path or between a descending path and ahoriz-ontal path, the sliding contact of the adjacent running boardscauses a rough contact therebetween and creaking. Furthermore, there isstill another defect in that the longer legtwice the thickness of therunning boardtends to be broken or fractured by the buckling loadapplied thereon from the running board, so that the stability of therunning board is of course lost.

The reason for the provision of the longer and shorter legs aredescribed above is that at both of the lower ends of the longer `andshorter legs there are provided small wheels respectively, which ride onthe inclined rails each having the same height, so that when the runningboard reaches the descending path the shorter leg is located at therelatively higher position whereas the longer leg is located at therelatively lower position. Now let it be assumed that the inclination ofthe rails is about 45, then the length of the shorter leg plus thethickness of the preceding running board is substantially equal to thelength of the longer leg of the following running board. This is thecondition required for arranging the running board in steps, i.e.escalators, with the upper surface of each running board beingmaintained horizontal.

The height of the rail to be laid is dependent upon the descendinghorizontal, elevating and the intermediate paths. This will be discussedin more detail hereinafter.

3,515,253 Patented June 2, 1970 ice The present invention, therefore,has for its object to eliminate or substantially reduce theabove-described defects or disadvantages, and relates to a continuousautoway for use in straight, curved, elevating and descending paths.

Primary objects of the invention are: to provide al1 improved conveyorhaving substantially universal movement along a guide path defined byguide rails or the like, and in which series-connected support membersare articulated by universal connecting means connected lat the lowerleading edge and below the longitudinal axis of the conveyor and in aplane passing therethrough, and in which each support member hastransversely-arcuate forward and rear ends in which adjacent ends ofadjacent members are complementary and. concentric to a center point onthe longitudinal axis to facilitate relative move'- ment horizontallyand in which the members are arcuate inwardly and beneath the forwardand rear ends to facilitate relative movement vertically betweenadjacent members.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, oneembodiment thereof will be described by way of example with referencet-o the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view;

FIG. 2 is a front View;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic View of the running boards in a curved path;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the running boards in an elevating ordescending path;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a link coupling mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a bottom View of the link coupling mechanism of FIG. 6K; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the closed track circuitand the cooperative relation of the boards.

According to the present invention, both of the front 3 and rear 4 endsof a running board 1 have the same arcuate curves 2 in the form of abowl as best shown in FIG. 3. The front side 3 of one running board 1and the rear side 4 of the adjacent running boards are arcuately formedwith the same arc of a circle the center of which is located at, forexample, a point C at the back portion of and on the center line of theupper surface of said one running board.

Immediately below the center of the circle and along the vertical linepassing through said center there is disposed a link coupling mechanism.at the bottom portion of the running board 1. The link couplingmechanism comprises a movable ball 6 provided with vertically andhorizontally extending cross-like pins 5 (see FIGS. 5-7). Over thehorizontally extending pins 5 is rotatably fitted a yoke 8 of asupporter 7 and a yoke 10 at the forward end of a link 9; over thevertically extending pins 5 is also rotatably fitted a yoke 10 at therear end of another link 9. Each of the running boards is continuouslyconnected together as a whole by successively interlocking both ends ofthe links 9 with the front side 3 being successively in a slidablecontact relation with the rear side -4 of the adjacent running board.

The design is made with due regard to the lengths of the supporter 7 andthe link 9 as well as the curvature of the curved end surfaces 2 of theboards so that when the running boards 1 are moved upwardly ordownwardly there may exist essentially no gap or space between the frontand rear curved end surfaces 2 of the two adjacent running boards 1along the horizontal contact line therebetween. Wheels 11 are freelyrotatably disposed respectively along both sides of each board 1 nearthe edge of the rear end and wheels 11 are also provided at the frontbottom portion of each running board 1.

The novel and essential features which are believed to be characteristicof the present invention as to its construction have been describedhereinbefore. Now the operation of the present invention will bedescribed. When the running boards 1 are travelling along the horizontalpath, the upper surface of each running board 1 is maintained always atthe same horizontal level, while when the running boards 1 are on theelevating or descending path each of the running boards is arranged instep with the upper surface thereof being maintained also horizontally.This will be effected by riding the freely rotatable wheels 11 upon twopairs of rails 12 which are laid along the predetermined straight,curved, elevating or descending path and which have the differentheights according to the above-described paths.

When the running boards .1 are travelling along the horizontal path, thecontinuous running boards 1 are driven by means of a chain drive or thelike (not shown) which drives the lateral sides of the running board.Alternatively, the lower end of the supporter 7 disposed at the bottomof the running board 1, as described above, is utilized as a pawl, whichis driven by means of a chain drive or the like (not shown). It ispreferable that the boards be restrained on each side of a casing (notshown) ywhich has the same contour or form as the rail course; thecasings hold therebetween slidably both lateral sides of the runningboard.

As described hereinbefore, each of the running boards 1 is provided withfreely rotatable wheels 11, which are disposed at both lateral sides andthe bottom of the running board 1 and ride on the rails 12. Therefore,the running board of the present invention has substantially no legscompared with the conventional running board which is provided withlonger and shorter legs respectively. Thus, the resultant force of thecompressive and bending forces acting from the running board 1 to thesupporter 7 is negligible, so that the supporter 7 is not likely damageand the freely rotatable wheels 11 can rotate very smoothly.

The reason why the front side 3 of the running board 1 and the rear side4 of the proceeding adjacent running board are arcuately formed with thesame arc of a circle, the center of which is found at C at the backportion of and on the center line of the upper surface of the firstmentioned running board 1, is as follows: When the running boards 1 areon a curved path, as shown in FIG. 4, sliding displacement of theadjacent front and rear end surfaces becomes possible along one curvedline, so that the running boards 1 can smoothly follow the curved pathand then return to the initial straight path. When viewed from above,the bowl-like curved end surfaces 2 of the two adjacent running boardshave no extending portion at all so that there exists essentially nospace or gap between the upper surfaces of the two adjacent runningboards 1.

Furthermore, when the running boards 1 are moved vertically, as shown inFIG. 5, the curved end surfaces 2 always contact with each other alongthe arcuate curve line so that there exists also essentially no gaptherebetween. Thus, even after a series of steps are formed, there is nogap throughout the whole running boards 1. This is also true when therunning boards `1 return to the horizontal path from the step path. Theline contact of the running boards which is effected according to thepresent invention permits a light vertical movement of the runningboards and causes no creaking compared with the conventional runningboards in which both of the front and rear ends are formed flat with thelarge sliding contact area. When the running boards are arranged in thestep form, a part of the upper end curved surface of the upper runningboard 1 is always somewhat superposed on the lower running board 1 sothat a part of the board applied upon the upper running board isimparted to the lower running board 1, whereby the stability of thewhole structure is improved.

The links 9 are for connecting continuously the whole running boards 1.When the running boards make straight. curved, elevating and descendingpaths or when they return to their original path. Front and back yokesof the link 9 are tted over the crosspins 5 extending from the ball 6can freely move vertically and towards right or left so that theformation of various paths of the continuous running boards is notprevented. Furthermore, the links 9 facilitate the movements andoperations of the running boards for forming the various paths.

A typical installation, not illustrated, would be four rails laid in anydesired course having straight, curved, elevating and descending paths.The wheels 11 carried on both lateral sides of the back upper portion ofthe running board ride on two rails while the wheels carried by bothsides of the front bottom portion of the running board ride on theremaining two rails. On any path, the upper surface of the running board1 is maintained horizontally. For this purpose, on the at or horizontalpath, the rails upon which the upper wheels 11 ride and the rails uponwhich the lower -wheels ride are vertically spaced apart from eachother. In the intermediate path from the at or horizontal path to thedescending path, the distance between two pairs of rails is graduallyreduced and laid on the same level. In the intermediate path from thedescending path to the horizontal path the distance between said twopairs of rails is gradually increased so that said two pairs of railsare vertically spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.In the intermediate path from the horizontal path to the elevating path,the distance between said two pairs of rails is gradually furtherincreased. In the intermediate path from the elevating path to thehorizontal path, the distance between said two pairs of rails aregradually reduced so that the distance therebetween returns to itsinitial distance in the initial path.

When the continuous running boards are driven along the rails on theabove-described course, an auto-way running on a series of coursesincluding the straight, curved, elevating and descending paths isobtained. The auto-way according to the present invention is not limitedto the conventional escalator, the use of which is limited to thestraight path, or to the auto-way the use of which is limited to thehorizontal path. The present invention makes it possible to provide anauto-way for use in any complicated path along the whole course thereofso that it becomes unnecessary for a man to walk the course. Theauto-way according to the present invention is very advantageous becausethis auto-way can provide the flat or horizontal straight and curvedpaths on a bridge crossing a road, a river, etc. or interconnectingbetween the skyscrapers where inward and outward paths are required.

The essential features of the present invention have been described inthis specification without restricting the invention in minor detailsother than by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An articulated conveyor mechanism for movement in a multitude ofdirections and particularly adapted for transporting personnelcomprising:

a plurality of running boards (1) having an upper support surface forcontinuous movement in a horizontal plane,

said running boards having transversely-arcuate forward and trailingends (3, 4) symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of said boards,

the adjacent forward and trailing ends of adjacent boards beingcomplementary for facilitating relative horizontal movementtherebetween, the forward and trailing ends of said boards converging(2) uniformly and arcuately beneath the forward and trailing ends forfacilitating relatively vertical movement therebetween; and couplingmeans operatively connecting adjacent boards to each other andpermitting relative universal movement between adjacent boards,

said coupling means comprising a plurality of elongated links (9)disposed beneath the center (C) of said boards and including a universalconnector at one end providing both vertical and horizontal pivot axes(S),

each said coupling means including a support (7) connected at a lowerportion to the horizontal pivot axis, and xedly secured at an upperportion to one of the boards at the center of the board said supportbeing secured to a respective board beneath the lower trailing end ofthe respective board, said universal connector comprising a horizontaland vertical yoke (10) at opposite ends of said links (9), a ballelement (6) have diametrically intersecting normal axle portions theforward yoke of one lin-k being journaled to a horizontal axle of oneball element, and the vertical yoke of an immediate leading link beingjournaled to the vertical axle of said one ball element, said supports(7) including a yoke (8) journaled on said horizontal axles of the oneball element and projecting vertically to a lower portion of a boardinwardly of the converging arcuate surface at the trailing end.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said boards each includetwo pairs of rollers, one pair comprising lateral rollers (11) forengaging guide tracks or the like, and one pair comprising dependingrollers 11) llanking the longitudinal axis of the board whereby theconveyor mechanism follows a fixed path of travel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS y888,949 5/1908 Wheeler 198-171,437,550 12/1922 Putnam 104-25 3,399,758 9/1968 Karr 198-16 EVON C.BLUNK, Primary Examiner D. D. WATTS, Assistant Examiner

